Abstract This invention relates to packaged graphite articles and to graphite containers for such articles. Graphite bodies are contained within a central cavity of a container, at least a portion of which is formed of graphite that is permeable to gases but substantially impermeable to airborne solid particles. The container comprises a receptacle having a through opening in at least one wall thereof with a closure member adapted for removable attachment to said receptacle in a sealing configuration to the through opening. The package is prepared by placing impure graphite bodies, typically those containing up to about 800 ppm of metallic and inorganic impurities in the receptacle, placing the closure member on the receptacle and inserting the resultant package within a purification furnace wherein it is contacted by a halogen-containing gas for a period of time and at a temperature sufficient to permit penetration of the halogen into the receptacle cavity, to contact the graphite bodies contained therein, to cause the halogen to react with and volatilize the inorganic impurities, and to expel such impurities from the graphite bodies and the receptacle cavity. The invention is applicable to the preparation of spectroscopically pure electrodes useful in analytical techniques and, in a typical embodiment, a cylindrical container of approximately three inches outside diameter and and two and three-eighths inches in height is loaded with 100 spectroscopic electrodes that are 0.25 inch in diameter and 1.5 inches in length, the receptacle is closed, placed in a furnace and heated to and maintained at a temperature of 2,200*C. for a period of about 8 hours while exposed to the action of a halogen-containing gas. The package removed from the furnace is preferably covered with a thin plastic film, labelled and is placed in a shipment container for delivery to the ultimate consumer. By this method, the spectroscopically pure environment in the cavity of the receptacle is not disturbed until the receptacle is opened by the ultimate consumer.
Inventors
👤 A Fagan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-03 16:28
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D85/00; B65D85/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
A package comprising: a. a receptacle formed of graphite and having a central cavity and rigid, load-supporting walls with a through opening in at least one wall thereof; b. a closure member also formed of graphite and adapted for removable attachment to said receptacle and across said through opening; c. means to removably secure said closure member across said through opening; d. solid form items substantially entirely filling said central cavity and consisting essentially of a plurality of slender cylindrical bodies of graphite having less than 20 parts per million of inorganic impurities and packed therein in a stacked array; and e. at least a portion of said receptacle and closure member being formed of graphite with interconnecting pores having diameters no greater than about 0.5 micron in diameter to provide permeability to gases but not to airborne particulate matter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
A package comprising: a. a receptacle formed of graphite and having a central cavity and rigid, load-supporting walls with a through opening in at least one wall thereof; b. a closure member also formed of graphite and adapted for removable attachment to said receptacle and across said through opening; c. means to removably secure said closure member across said through opening; d. solid form items substantially entirely filling said central cavity and consisting essentially of a plurality of slender cylindrical bodies of graphite having less than 20 parts per million of inorganic impurities and packed therein in a stacked array; and e. at least a portion of said receptacle and closure member being formed of graphite with interconnecting pores having diameters no greater than about 0.5 micron in diameter to provide permeability to gases but not to airborne particulate matter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The package of claim 1 wherein the entirety of said receptacle is formed of said graphite.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The package of claim 2 wherein said receptacle has a neck portion of reduced exterior dimensions and said closure member comprises a cover having approximately the same exterior dimension as said receptacle with sidewalls extending into a close fit with said neck.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
10 words
The package of claim 3 wherein said receptacle is cylindrical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The package of claim 2 wherein said receptacle has a polygonal cross-section.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The package of claim 2 wherein said receptacle is covered with a plastic film.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The package of claim 2 wherein said container is cylindrical with an inside diameter of approximately 2.75 inches and containing approximately 100 of said cylindrical graphite bodies, each having a diameter of approximately 0.25 inch.